Kamlager-Dove Discusses Solitary Confinement, Government Shutdown, 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop on 'Inside the Issues' with Alex Cohen
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - August 23, 2023
Media Contact: Maya Valentine | maya.valentine@mail.house.gov
LOS ANGELES, CA – Last night, Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) sat down with Alex Cohen on Spectrum News 1's 'Inside the Issues' to discuss the End Solitary Confinement Now Act, the importance of avoiding a Republican-manufactured government shutdown, and her resolution honoring the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop. Below are excerpts from her interview and a link to the video.
To watch the full interview, click here.
ON THE END SOLITARY CONFINEMENT NOW ACT
“Well, first, I’m so proud to cosponsor this piece of legislation with Representative Cori Bush. For me, it feels like an extension of the work that I was doing in the California State Legislature. We know that the practice of solitary confinement is barbaric. It's antiquated, and, most importantly, it is not effective. It’s something that we have to change, and we have to talk about it. You know, we have an increasing number of women who are going to prison and jails and young mothers and younger folks, and so for them to find themselves indefinitely in solitary confinement, where you are spending 22 or 23 hours a day locked up without exercise, without companionship, without any kind of stimulation — sometimes without even sunlight or toilet paper — goes to show you how lazy this practice is and how inhumane it is.”
“…The [End Solitary Confinement Now Act] would incentivize states to do away with solitary confinement, and it would prohibit any federal institutions from utilizing this practice. I can tell you that I’ve gone to Norway, and I have talked with correctional facility administrators who don't have solitary confinement, and they focus on rehabilitation. They focus on accountability. They focus on how folks can successfully re-enter into society. […] There is an opportunity for us to insert compassion and humanity into how we ask folks to correct their behavior while they're incarcerated.”
“…A report came out from the National Institute of Corrections that says solitary confinement does not combat recidivism, and in fact, it increases the likelihood of self-harm, harming others, and suicide — not just for those who are incarcerated but also for correctional officers. There is a 39% higher rate of suicide for folks working in our prisons than for the rest of us out here working, and that's because it is a place that where humanity is hard to find…we should be a little more intentional and less lazy about how to change practices, so that we can keep everyone safe and alive.”
ON GOP-MANUFACTURED GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
“Well, we know that the House Freedom Caucus sent a letter to Speaker McCarthy telling him that they were down for a government shutdown unless he met their demands. They send these hostage letters — these ransom letters — out from time to time, basically saying they wanted to continue to stoke the culture wars, and they wanted to defund the military and cut spending, so my hope is that [Speaker McCarthy] will disregard that letter. My hope is that he will work with Democrats to find votes necessary to prevent the government from shutting down because if that does happen, what that means is if you want to go to a national park, it will be closed, if you…call because you need help with your visa or your passport, or your veterans benefits, or your health care, there will not be someone on the phone to help you. I ran for Congress to work for the American people and for my constituents, and that means having a government that is open.”
ON RESOLUTION COMMEMORATING THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF HIP-HOP
“Well, I think the arts and music — they heal, they educate, they allow us to think about things that might be uncomfortable, and they allow us to grow. Hip-Hop is a young music genre and movement. It was created by folks that [the] mainstream thought were unsophisticated and intelligent, and look at us now. Fifty years later, Hip-Hop has traversed the entire globe, and as we deal with folks who want to deny American history and Black history, I think it is so important that we are recognizing Hip-Hop, the anniversary, right, the 50 years of Hip-Hop, in Congress, so that we can continue to tell people no, no, we're gonna continue to share history in all kinds of ways to educate and heal.”
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